Irvine Police Actively Enforce Seatbelt Law During HolidaysCLICK IT OR TICKET Campaign Aims For Safe Thanksgiving

Contact :

Lieutenant Barry Aninag (949) 724-7112

IRVINE, CA (November 15, 2010): The Irvine Police Department, in an effort to help bring everyone home safe for the holidays, will be aggressively enforcing the State’s seat belt and child safety seat laws during the Click It or Ticket mobilization, taking place November 15th – 28th. The campaign relies on enforcement and public education as a means to help reduce deaths and injuries on California’s roadways.

“In our continued effort to promote safety within our community, we want to encourage all drivers and passengers to buckle up on every ride, day and night,” said Police Chief David L. Maggard Jr. “Our officers will be proactive in identifying those who are not properly restrained, including teens and children.

California’s primary seat belt law requires that every passenger in the car, including the driver, is required to wear a seat belt at all times. If stopped and found to be in violation, law enforcement officials may issue citations without warning.

Currently California has a seat belt usage rate of 95.7 percent, although that means over one half million people are still not buckling up. Teens and nighttime car occupants lag behind others as far as buckling up is concerned. Officers will be concentrating even more on ensuring they are properly restrained. Proper restraints can increase chances of surviving a serious crash by 50 percent. Those ejected from vehicles in crashes or roll-overs are up to 35 times more likely to die than restrained occupants.

Funding for officer overtime to support California’s Click It or Ticket campaign was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has become a nationally recognized city, with a population of 242,651, spans 66 square miles and is recognized as one of America’s safest and most successful master-planned urban communities. Top-rated educational institutions, an enterprising business atmosphere, sound environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity all contribute to Irvine’s enviable quality of life. This family-friendly city features more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space and is the home of the Orange County Great Park – the first great metropolitan park of the 21st century. For more information, please visit cityofirvine.org.